House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) was reportedly “blindsided” on Thursday by Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) appointment of two “controversial” conservatives to the committee.
Johnson did not tell Turner about his decision to appoint Reps. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX) to the Intel Committee; as a select committee, the speaker has the right to unilaterally appoint members to the committee.
Turner found out through press reports and was reportedly “blindsided” by the speaker’s decision.
Punchbowl News claimed that Intel lawmakers reportedly have tried to rebuild the committee’s reputation post-Trump presidency, and they think “Johnson’s selection of Jackson and Perry betrays a lack of understanding about or respect for their work.”
According to Punchbowl News:
Perry, of course, was one of the key figures in Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The FBI, which Perry will help oversee now, confiscated the Pennsylvania Republican’s phone as part of the probe into the Jan. 6 insurrection. That case is still being fought out in court.
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Jackson, of course, has his own colorful history. Trump nominated Jackson to be Veterans Affairs secretary. Jackson withdrew after a slew of stories accusing him of drinking on the job and inappropriately treating employees came out. Jackson denied all allegations, but a scathing Pentagon inspector general report resurfaced many of the accusations.
However, Turner, in February, enflamed controversy himself for sounding the alarm on an alleged threat from Russia in what was later mocked by conservatives for being a politically driven scheme to pass more aid to Ukraine.
Perry and Jackson’s appointment gives conservatives more opportunity to call for reform and conduct more rigorous oversight of the intelligence community.
Perry said in a written statement on Wednesday:
My great thanks to Speaker Johnson for selecting me to sit on the House Intelligence Committee. I’m humbled by his confidence in me, my service to our Nation, and my experience in this arena. I look forward to providing not only a fresh perspective, but conducting actual oversight – not blind obedience to some facets of our Intel Community that all too often abuse their powers, resources, and authority to spy on the American People.
“I believe we will be able to restore the American people’s complete faith in our intelligence community,” Jackson said in a statement on Wednesday.
Related: Jim Jordan: There Are 204k Reasons to Oppose FISA Reauthorization
House Committee on the Judiciary / YouTubeThe two conservatives, in April, voted for an amendment that Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) proposed to require a warrant for Section 702, a controversial surveillance law that is meant to target foreign adversaries but often surveils American citizens without a warrant.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
